Following his European Indoor gold medal in Turkey, Norwegian star shines brightest on opening night in New Mexico, capping thrilling competition against Bradford with lifetime-best 19-8.25 effort; Jacobs, McLeod, Rogers and Oklahoma State DMR also secure memorable titles

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Sondre Guttormsen was the last man standing Friday night, and everyone who remained in attendance at the Albuquerque Convention Center to watch the conclusion of the pole vault competition at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships demonstrated their respect and appreciation with a standing ovation.

Less than a week removed from winning the European Athletics Indoor Championships gold medal in Turkey, the Norwegian star not only managed to outlast Texas Tech standout Zach Bradford, but become only the 15th male athlete in the world to produce a 6-meter indoor clearance.

INTERVIEWS | PHOTOS by Phil Ponder

Guttormsen, competing for Princeton, equaled the collegiate record of 19-8.25 (6.00m) on his second attempt to become the first back-to-back Division 1 indoor champion since Arkansas’ Andrew Irwin in 2012-13.

Guttormsen matched the 2021 indoor performance of Baylor’s KC Lightfoot, as well as the 2019 outdoor effort achieved by LSU’s Armand “Mondo” Duplantis in his lone year of collegiate competition.

Bradford, who equaled the No. 5 all-time collegiate indoor vaulter with a lifetime-best 19-4.75 (5.91m) performance to extend the competition, applied the pressure to Guttormsen throughout the meet.

Bradford, who was edged by Guttormsen by a 19-4.25 (5.90m) to 19-1.50 (5.83m) margin Feb. 4 at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic at the Albuquerque Convention Center, had the advantage Friday after clearing 19-0.75 (5.81m) first.

Guttormsen responded by clearing 19-2.75 (5.86m) on his first attempt, with Bradford missing twice in an attempt to achieve a new personal best. Bradford decided to pass on his final opportunity at 19-2.75 and then delivered an emotional 19-4.75 clearance with his last chance, also forcing Guttormsen to successfully make the height to continue the competition.

Guttormsen then watched as Bradford missed all three opportunities at 19-6.50 (5.96m), before deciding to pass at that height and take aim at his first career 6-meter clearance.

Guttormsen matched the No. 9 all-time global indoor performer, with Bradford equaling the No. 8 competitor in American indoor history.

Bradford is the only vaulter in collegiate history to lose a pair of competitions when clearing at least 19-1.50.

There was plenty of drama also present on the long jump runway, with Arkansas’ Carey McLeod rallying to win with a sixth-round leap of 27-6.75 (8.40m), as the Jamaican standout ascended to No. 5 in collegiate indoor history.

Mississippi State’s Cameron Crump, who matched his lifetime-best 27-6.50 (8.39m) from Feb. 24 at the Southeastern Conference Championships in Arkansas, placed second and ranks as the No. 6 all-time collegiate indoor competitor.

Florida State’s Jeremiah Davis took third with a personal-best 27-5.50 (8.37m), improving to No. 8 in collegiate indoor history, and reigning Division 1 indoor champion Wayne Pinnock – who transferred to Arkansas along with McLeod from Tennessee – finished fourth at 27-4 (8.33m) to elevate to the No. 10 all-time collegiate indoor performer, as a record seven athletes achieved 8-meter jumps.

Isaiah Rogers delivered his own clutch performance in the final round of the men’s weight throw, securing the first indoor title in any event in Kennesaw State history by rallying with a mark of 79-6 (24.23m) to surpass defending indoor champion Bobby Colantonio of Alabama at 76-9.25 (23.40m).

Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan of Ole Miss, the top freshman in Division 1 indoor history, took third at 75-4 (22.96m).

Dylan Jacobs of Tennessee won the men’s 5,000-meter crown in 13:37.59, covering the final 400 meters in 56.47 to prevail against Brigham Young’s Casey Clinger (13:38.12) and Northern Arizona teammates Drew Bosley (13:38.62) and Nico Young (13:40.55).

Jacobs prevailed in the 10,000-meter final representing Notre Dame in June at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., before transferring to Tennessee to follow former Irish coach Sean Carlson to Knoxville during the summer.

Oklahoma State, which achieved the collegiate indoor record and world all-time best in the men’s distance medley relay Feb. 17 at the Arkansas Qualifier, captured the first national title in the event in program history in 9:28.77.

Fouad Messaoudi, Charlie Bartholomew, Juan Diego Castro and Ryan Schoppe prevailed against Ole Miss (9:31.63) and Wisconsin (9:31.77) for the Cowboys. Messaoudi and Schoppe joined DJ McArthur and Hafez Mahadi on the lineup that ran 9:16.40 at Randal Tyson Track Center.

Washington, which finished fourth in the DMR final in 9:31.97, had four of its six mile entries advance to the final, led by Joe Waskom clocking 4:02.68.

Udodi Onwuzurike of Stanford, representing Nigeria, and Tarsis Orogat of Alabama, a Ugandan athlete, both ran 20.17 in separate heats of the men’s 200-meter semifinals, equaling the No. 6 all-time collegiate indoor competitors.

Georgia’s Kyle Garland built the advantage in the men’s heptathlon after four events, producing the second-highest opening-day total in global history with 3,773 points.

Arkansas’ Ayden Owens-Delerme, the reigning Division 1 indoor champion representing Puerto Rico, is second entering the final three events with 3,618 points.